Powhatan supervisors accept Pocahontas Landmark Center transfer amid preservation outcry
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Summary
After hours of public testimony urging renovation, the Powhatan County Board of Supervisors voted 5–0 to accept an MOU transferring ownership of the Pocahontas Landmark Center from the school board to the county for potential rehabilitation and reuse.
The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on July 28 to accept a memorandum of understanding that would transfer ownership of the Pocahontas Landmark Center from the Powhatan County Public Schools to the county, setting up a process to explore rehabilitation and reuse of the campus.
Supporters of preserving the campus, which traces to the Powhatan Training School and later Pocahontas High School, packed the public hearing and urged the board to halt demolition plans. Carl Schwendeman, who said he attended middle school in the building, cited a forthcoming state grant opportunity and asked the board to “save the old school” and pursue renovation rather than demolition.
The board had originally appropriated $900,000 in 2014 to demolish portions of the complex for health and safety reasons. At a June briefing, school staff reported an updated opinion of probable cost of $1.6 million to complete the demolition, but a formal bid later came in within the original $900,000 appropriation. County staff presented a third option — a 20‑year MOU that would transfer the campus to the county while allowing the school system to keep administrative space at no immediate cost.
Residents, alumni and local advocates described the complex as historically significant and urged wider community outreach before any demolition. “The historical value of the buildings alone is enough to demand that the wide community of residents, taxpayers, and stakeholders in Powhatan … be duly notified,” citizen organizer Renee Fisher said, delivering a petition she said had more than 500 signatures.
School board representative James Taylor acknowledged the long debate and noted multiple feasibility studies over several years. Taylor said he could not support transferring the deed without safeguards, arguing the two elected boards — the school board and the board of supervisors — have distinct responsibilities. ‘‘We are two different boards,’’ he told supervisors, urging careful stewardship of school resources.
Supervisors who supported the transfer emphasized that county ownership could produce efficiencies and enable a unified plan for maintenance and reuse. Supervisor McClung said county ownership would relieve the schools of ongoing maintenance and insurance costs and provide a single entity responsible for the campus. After discussion and a roll call, the board approved resolution r-2025-49 by a 5–0 vote (McClung, Powers, Morissette, Vice Chair Kenny, Chairman Donati).
The MOU specified a 20‑year term with annual reviews and left open opportunities to renovate salvageable wings for community use. Board members and staff said further, site‑specific engineering assessments, financial analyses, and public engagement would be needed to define a final plan and cost estimates. The supervisors’ vote transfers responsibility to the county and begins the next phase of evaluation and planning.
Next steps: county staff will finalize the transfer paperwork and begin coordinated assessments and public outreach to develop definitive cost estimates and reuse scenarios.
